IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i1p295-d195903.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Water Supply and Energy in Residential Buildings: Potential Savings and Financial Profitability

Author

Listed:
  • Ramón Barberán

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía Street, 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain
    Environmental Sciences Institute (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna Street, 2, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Diego Colás

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía Street, 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Pilar Egea

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zaragoza, Gran Vía Street, 2, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain
    Environmental Sciences Institute (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna Street, 2, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

Abstract

This article examines the suitability of water supply installations in residential buildings for the pressure conditions of the main water network, and evaluates the energy saving possibilities associated with pumping water into homes. It assesses the situation and the options for renovation in a sample of 151 buildings in the city of Zaragoza (Spain), estimating the savings in electric power and the possible financial returns that could be obtained. The results show that in half the buildings, the installations are inadequate and lead to inefficient energy use, which could be avoided by renovation. However, they also show that in many cases, this type of retrofitting would not be profitable for the building owners, meaning that technically viable solutions may not necessarily be financially viable. To mitigate or avoid the energy inefficiency in question, the public sector could step in by informing and financing support for building owners and regulating in the areas of town planning and construction.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramón Barberán & Diego Colás & Pilar Egea, 2019. "Water Supply and Energy in Residential Buildings: Potential Savings and Financial Profitability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:1:p:295-:d:195903
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/1/295/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/1/295/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noailly, Joëlle, 2012. "Improving the energy efficiency of buildings: The impact of environmental policy on technological innovation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 795-806.
    2. DeBenedictis, A. & Haley, B. & Woo, C.K. & Cutter, E., 2013. "Operational energy-efficiency improvement of municipal water pumping in California," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 237-243.
    3. Faustino Patiño-Cambeiro & Julia Armesto & Faustino Patiño-Barbeito & Guillermo Bastos, 2016. "Perspectives on Near ZEB Renovation Projects for Residential Buildings: The Spanish Case," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Hamiche, Ait Mimoune & Stambouli, Amine Boudghene & Flazi, Samir, 2016. "A review of the water-energy nexus," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 319-331.
    5. Coelho, B. & Andrade-Campos, A., 2014. "Efficiency achievement in water supply systems—A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 59-84.
    6. Roger Fouquet (ed.), 2013. "Handbook on Energy and Climate Change," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14429.
    7. Topi, Corrado & Esposto, Edoardo & Marini Govigli, Valentino, 2016. "The economics of green transition strategies for cities: Can low carbon, energy efficient development approaches be adapted to demand side urban water efficiency?," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 74-82.
    8. Delia D’Agostino & Paolo Zangheri & Luca Castellazzi, 2017. "Towards Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in Europe: A Focus on Retrofit in Non-Residential Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15, January.
    9. Cheung, C.T. & Mui, K.W. & Wong, L.T., 2013. "Energy efficiency of elevated water supply tanks for high-rise buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 685-691.
    10. Xavier Labandeira & José M. Labeaga & Xiral López-Otero, 2011. "Energy Demand for Heating in Spain: An Empirical Analysis with Policy Purposes," Working Papers 06-2011, Economics for Energy.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Xiaohong & Qi, Yan & Wang, Yanqing & Wu, Jun & Lin, Lili & Peng, Hong & Qi, Hui & Yu, Xiaoyu & Zhang, Yanzong, 2016. "Effect of the tap water supply system on China's economy and energy consumption, and its emissions’ impact," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 660-671.
    2. Ahmad, Shakeel & Jia, Haifeng & Chen, Zhengxia & Li, Qian & Xu, Changqing, 2020. "Water-energy nexus and energy efficiency: A systematic analysis of urban water systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Hamburg, Anti & Kuusk, Kalle & Mikola, Alo & Kalamees, Targo, 2020. "Realisation of energy performance targets of an old apartment building renovated to nZEB," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    4. Du, Jiyun & Ge, Zhan & Wu, Hao & Shi, Xudong & Yuan, Fangyang & Yu, Wei & Wang, Dongxiang & Yang, Xinjun, 2022. "Study on the effects of runner geometric parameters on the performance of micro Francis turbines used in water supply system of high-rise buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    5. Du, Jiyun & Yang, Hongxing & Shen, Zhicheng & Chen, Jian, 2017. "Micro hydro power generation from water supply system in high rise buildings using pump as turbines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 431-440.
    6. Steffen Nielsen & Lars Grundahl, 2018. "District Heating Expansion Potential with Low-Temperature and End-Use Heat Savings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    7. Fan, Jing-Li & Kong, Ling-Si & Wang, Hang & Zhang, Xian, 2019. "A water-energy nexus review from the perspective of urban metabolism," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 392(C), pages 128-136.
    8. Faustino Patiño-Cambeiro & Guillermo Bastos & Julia Armesto & Faustino Patiño-Barbeito, 2017. "Multidisciplinary Energy Assessment of Tertiary Buildings: Automated Geomatic Inspection, Building Information Modeling Reconstruction and Building Performance Simulation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Alberto Gago & Xavier Labandeira & Xiral López Otero, 2014. "A Panorama on Energy Taxes and Green Tax Reforms," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 208(1), pages 145-190, March.
    10. Ernestyna Szpakowska-Loranc, 2021. "Multi-Attribute Analysis of Contemporary Cultural Buildings in the Historic Urban Fabric as Sustainable Spaces—Krakow Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-25, May.
    11. Ericsson, Neil R., 2016. "Eliciting GDP forecasts from the FOMC’s minutes around the financial crisis," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 571-583.
    12. Neil R. Ericsson, 2021. "Dynamic Econometrics in Action: A Biography of David F. Hendry," International Finance Discussion Papers 1311, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    13. Zhou, Yuanchun & Ma, Mengdie & Gao, Peiqi & Xu, Qiming & Bi, Jun & Naren, Tuya, 2019. "Managing water resources from the energy - water nexus perspective under a changing climate: A case study of Jiangsu province, China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 380-390.
    14. Papapostolou, Christiana M. & Kondili, Emilia M. & Zafirakis, Dimitris P. & Tzanes, Georgios T., 2020. "Sustainable water supply systems for the islands: The integration with the energy problem," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 2577-2588.
    15. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & López-González, Luis M. & Olasolo-Alonso, Pablo, 2019. "Towards nearly zero-energy buildings in Mediterranean countries: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive evolution and the energy rehabilitation challenge in the Spanish residential sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 335-352.
    16. Marczak, Martyna & Proietti, Tommaso, 2016. "Outlier detection in structural time series models: The indicator saturation approach," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 180-202.
    17. Jean-Baptiste Bahers & Paula Higuera & Anne Ventura & Nicolas Antheaume, 2020. "The “Metal-Energy-Construction Mineral” Nexus in the Island Metabolism: The Case of the Extractive Economy of New Caledonia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-18, March.
    18. Kittisak Lohwanitchai & Daranee Jareemit, 2021. "Modeling Energy Efficiency Performance and Cost-Benefit Analysis Achieving Net-Zero Energy Building Design: Case Studies of Three Representative Offices in Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-24, May.
    19. Hypolite, Gautier & Boutin, Olivier & Sole, Sandrine Del & Cloarec, Jean-François & Ferrasse, Jean-Henry, 2023. "Evaluation of a water network’s energy potential in dynamic operation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    20. Kim, Min-Hwi & Kim, Deukwon & Heo, Jaehyeok & Lee, Dong-Won, 2020. "Energy performance investigation of net plus energy town: Energy balance of the Jincheon Eco-Friendly energy town," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 1784-1800.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:1:p:295-:d:195903. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.